The Jacksonville Jaguars have already spent a week in London. This could give them a slight advantage against the Buffalo Bills. But whether the Jags have an edge or not, head coach Doug Pederson recognizes they'll go against one of the top clubs in the NFL.
Pederson told the media Friday that Buffalo is a good team regardless of the travel. On the other hand, he says his squad had a good week of practice, so expect the Jaguars to give a good fight despite the fact that they're a five-point underdog. With that in mind, here are three storylines to keep an eye on.
3. Can the Jaguars O-Line hold down the Bills' defensive front?
The Jaguars are getting reinforcements. After serving a four-game suspension to start the 2023 season, Cam Robinson is back in the fold. Given the groups' struggles to open lanes or protect Trevor Lawrence, his return should be huge.
Robinson has not played other positions besides left tackle, so that's where he'll line up Sunday. With Robinson back in the mix, Walker Little will move to left guard, the weakest link on the offensive line.
The Jags couldn't gotten Robinson back at any better time. In Week 5, they're going to against the Bills defensive front, one of the best and deepest in the league. Even if Von Miller doesn't suit up — he's leaning toward playing — the offensive line will have their hands full. Leonard Floyd, Gregory Rousseau, Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones, and J.J. Epenesa have all recorded at least one sack this season. Three of them (Floyd, Rousseau, and Oliver) already had three. Simply Miller would be the icing in the cake.
All things considered, this is arguably the toughest defensive front the Jaguars will face in the first half of the season. On the bright side, right tackle Anton Harrison and Brandon Scherff are coming off solid performances, so the offensive line isn't completely toothless going into the game. This will be a tough matchup for the unit but if they can give Trevor Lawrence enough time to throw, their chances of winning will go up.
2. Will the Jaguars running game flourish vs. the Bills?
The Jaguars have trouble running the ball this season despite their repeated efforts. Currently, they rank 18th in rushing yards and even when they make an aggressive effort to establish the run, the returns are minimal. Take last week's outing for example.
The Jags, as a team, totaled 105 yards on 32 carries. While those aren't bad numbers per se, 42 of those yards came in a couple of scrambles by Trevor Lawrence. Remove those and Jacksonville mustered a measly 63 yards on 30 carries, good for 2.0 yards per carry.
Although the Jags deserve credit for not abandoning the run, it doesn't matter how many times they pound the ball if they're going to get minimal results. The good news is that the Jags are getting Cam Robinson back, as previously noted. While not an All-Pro talent, Robinson excels in run blocking. Add Walker Little's move to left guard and the Jaguars should be able to do a better job of running the ball.
Another thing working in the Jags' favor is that the Bills are vulnerable to the run. It's true that Buffalo ranks second in both points allowed and total yards but they give up 6.2 yards per carry, the worst figure in the league. On top of that, they've allowed 100 yards or more in the last three games.
If the Jaguars want to resurrect their running game, one that resembles the 2022 version, this is the time.
1. Will the Jaguars pass rush build on last week's success?
It's one thing to go against Desmond Ridder, who has yet to prove he can be an efficient starting quarterback, and it's a whole different one to face Josh Allen, one of the toughest signal-callers to bring down. Not only does Allen have a huge frame but he's also got the speed to flush the pocket and make plays with his leg in case the plays break.
Now, Josh Allen and the Jaguars pass rusher deserve praise for taking advantage of their chances against the Falcons last week but it will be considerably more challenging to rattle Allen.
After a subpar performance in the opener, one that included three interceptions, Allen has bounced back nicely and reclaimed his place as one of the top quarterbacks in the league. The last three games, he's competed 72.73 percent of his passes for 728 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions.
Meanwhile, the Jaguars lack a consistent pass rush, Josh Allen notwithstanding. Travon Walker has improved but hasn't yet become the dominant player the Jaguars envisioned when they drafted him first overall last year. K'Lavon Chaisson has been a non-factor, and rookie Yasir Abdullah hasn't done much with the snaps he's been given.
Given that defensive end Dawuane Smoot has already been ruled out for the bout, the Jaguars will be betting on Allen to bring the heat. And if the Bills find a way to contain him, Jacksonville could have trouble getting to Allen (the quarterback).
Allen will need to have a game like the one he had last week (or the one in 2021) but it would be good to see someone else step up Sunday.